Remember the tiny communication device called Pager? As a kid, I was fascinated by it. Unfortunately, even after a lot of drama, my parents made me settle for a toy replica. Anyway, the point here is that many of these cool devices from the 80s and 90s ceased to exist as mobile phones took over the world. Let us look back at some of these gadgets that were a part of our lives, but eventually got supplanted by the smartphones.
The Walkman
Back in the good-old days, Sony's Walkman was a prime source for entertainment while on the go. It would play the tunes from cassettes that would hold around an hour’s music. However, these portable audio players phased out as MP3 players came into the market. These flash-storage based players including Apple's iPod met with the same fate as smartphones started becoming more affordable. As manufacturers crammed in more storage and improved the sound quality of phones, standalone music players couldn't stand a chance in this competition.
Point and shoot camera
The ever-improving cameras on the smartphones triggered the collapse of the compact digital cameras. Photography, which once required some skills, is now accessible to almost everyone. Since smartphones are connected devices, sharing photos has become easier than ever. With OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) and larger sensors, the chances for the compact cameras to regain the market share seem pretty thin.
Pocket television
The pocket TVs, which would play over-the-air channels were quite a rage during the Doordarshan era. These gadgets were ideal for people to catch the live news or sporting events on the go. However, now as the smartphones become the primary content consumption device, the pocket TVs have started disappearing from the market. Phones with 3G and 4G connectivity can stream video content and live television from across the globe.
Calculator
The calculator is one such device which is slowly marching towards its grave. Smartphones can easily handle simple calculations and also unit conversions. And with the Artificial Intelligence (AI) backed systems in devices such as iPhone and Google's Pixel, one can simply command the inbuilt system to do the math for you. Moreover, there are plenty of third-party apps for if you require a scientific calculator.
Portable gaming devices
Boy, we all love video games. Back in the days, the biggest draw for gamers was portable consoles such as Nintendo's Game Boy and then PSP. For kids, these gadgets used to top the Christmas wish list. Nowadays, with powerful hardware and GPU, smartphones have left little room for dedicated portable gaming consoles to flourish. The future of these devices looks pretty bleak. With the latest smartphones destroying each and every gadget that lies in its path, manufacturers are unlikely to develop handheld gaming devices as such.
Alarm clock
The simple alarm clocks that would give you irritating buzz in the mornings are being replaced by the smartphone apps. Phones even give you the option to track your sleeping schedule, which is something the humble alarm clock was never capable of. You can even assign your favourite song as the alarm tone. That's much better than waking up to ear piercing sound on Mondays.
Satellite navigation device
Satnav manufacturers such as Garmin, TomTom make excellent GPS devices. You also get software support to keep you updated with latest maps. It offers top-notch voice-guided navigation on road trips. However, these subscriptions cost a lot of money. On the other hand, smartphone apps such as Google Maps and HERE maps offer all this and more without charging you a penny. Smartphones such as the Apple iPhone 7 and Samsung's s7 Edge are water resistant, making them more suitable to be used on motorcycles compared to the standalone GPS devices.
Taxi meters
Companies such as Uber and Ola have disrupted the taxi industry. Especially, Uber has shown the world that you can call a cab with a few clicks on your cell phone. These services can monitor rides and let you make your payments right from the app, thus eliminating the need for a standard analog or digital taxi meter.
— by Ajinkya Bhoir
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article is soley those of the original author. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Deccan Chronicle and/or other staff and contributors to this site. Ajinkya is a tech aficionado. Though he mostly writes about gadgets, he prefers things that guzzle gasoline more than those running on lithium-ion batteries. He is a content guy at Couponraja.in
